Rush

And she wasn’t certain why. She hadn’t drunk
     that much. Had she?
    The entire evening was somewhat of a blur to her. Dancing. Drinking. Dancing some
     more. Or maybe it had been drinking some more.
    “Want to brush my teeth,” she mumbled.
    “Are you sure you can stand up for that long?”
    She nodded.
    “I’ll go get your bed ready so you can lie down,” he said.
    Gabe left the bathroom, anger still a tight knot in his gut. More than anger, however,
     had been fear. A sensation that still gripped him right by the balls.
    If she weren’t so damn drunk, he’d tan her ass right here and now. Of all the irresponsible,
     idiotic things to pull.
    He pulled back her covers, fixed the pillows and then arranged the sheets so he could
     slide her into bed. If she wasn’t so sick, he’d haul her over to his apartment right
     now and she’d stay there until they left for Paris.
    He walked back toward the bathroom, frowning when he heard nothing but quiet.
    “Mia?” he asked as he stepped to the doorway.
    He shook his head at the sight that greeted him. Mia was sitting on the floor in front
     of the toilet, her arm propped on the seat. Her head was resting on her arm and she
     was passed out cold.
    With a sigh, he bent down and lifted her into his arms. He carried her into her bedroom
     and laid her on the bed so he could undress her. When she was naked, he stepped back
     long enough to undress to his boxers, and then he climbed into bed next to her, arranging
     her so she was comfortably resting against his body, her head pillowed on his arm.
    They were going to have a long damn talk in the morning whether she had a hangover
     or not.

chapter twenty-six
    When Mia opened her eyes, it felt as though someone put an ice pick right through
     one of her eyeballs. She groaned and turned from the source of light shining through
     her window only to see Gabe standing in the doorway of her bedroom.
    He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, his hands shoved into his pockets as his gaze
     trailed down her body. She didn’t know if it was because she rarely saw Gabe in jeans
     that she reacted so strongly to the sexy-as-hell sight or if he just looked incredibly
     hot in denim.
    “Feels like shit doesn’t it?”
    She didn’t pretend to misunderstand what he meant. She nodded, the motion hurting
     her head all the more.
    He pushed off the doorway and walked to the bed, settling on the edge next to her.
    “The car is waiting out front. Get dressed so we can go.”
    Her brow furrowed. “Where are we going?” She didn’t want to move. She wanted about
     another six hours of sleep. Maybe then she’d wake and her head wouldn’t hurt so badly.
    “My apartment,” he said shortly. “You have five minutes. Don’t keep me waiting.”
    Her lips turned up into a snarl as he moved away anddisappeared from her bedroom. If he was only going to give her five minutes, then
     he couldn’t expect her not to look like death warmed over. She needed a hot shower
     and time to put herself together.
    Hell, she still didn’t even know what bug he had up his ass from last night. For that
     matter, she didn’t even remember getting to bed. All she remembered was brushing her
     teeth. And then waking up.
    Gabe had spent the night, but had he slept?
    She pushed herself out of bed, groaning as she trudged to her closet. She yanked out
     a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, not even bothering with bra or underwear. It wasn’t
     as if Gabe liked her wearing panties anyway.
    She did pack a quick bag with a few changes of clothes along with the things she’d
     forgone—bra and panties—and then she went into the bathroom to throw her toiletries
     in the bag.
    When she walked into the living room, she saw that Gabe was standing by the window
     staring out. He turned when he heard her.
    “You ready?”
    She shrugged. She wasn’t really, but whatever.
    He pulled her into his side and then put his hand to her back as they headed out of
     her apartment. A few moments later, he bundled her into the waiting car and got in
     beside her. As soon as the car took off, he motioned for her to come to him.
    He tucked his arm around her, and she sighed as his warmth seeped into her body. She
     nestled her head on his chest and closed her eyes. She’d expected him to lecture her.
     Or rant about whatever he was pissed at her for. But he’d been surprisingly quiet,
     almost as if he knew just how badly her head hurt.
    His mouth brushed over her head, and